Old Chances, New Methods
by midnightwolfGX
Summary: Using an ancient mystic power, Bowser gains the ability to transform into a remarkably attractive human and back at will. He tried to use it to win Peach's heart, but ends up getting attention from an unwanted admirer as well, who will prove to be dangerous competition. Will Bowser be able to brush her off, or will things get ugly fast?
1. Prologue

**I'm back! After a long while of waiting, I figured I would finally upload another story. Ever since my **_**Regular Show**_** fanfic, I was taking a creative writing class, which left me with little mental fuel for typing anything (we had to write a novel for National Novel Writing Month!). But, the wait is over, so to celebrate, I figured I would do another Nintendo fic, this time with good old Mario. Enjoy!**

It is now the 85th anniversary of the founding of the Mushroom Kingdom. The whole kingdom has gathered at Toad Town for a big, week-long celebration of the event. There will be banquets, Kart races, athletic events, Mario Party-style competitions, arcades, a carnival, magic shows, circus performances, fireworks at night, and much more. But the hard part, as always, is getting everything prepared.

The Mario Bros. spent half of the day before the celebration measuring and bringing over the pipes that would be needed for the "Rescue the Princess" activity for the citizens who were ambitious to attempt to do what Mario has done many times to rescue Princess Peach Toadstool (in the style of the NES Super Mario Bros.), as well as the Kart races, Party minigames, and other purposes. The rest of the toad workers were busy setting up large tents and stages and tables and souvenir kiosks and whatnot.

"Hey-a, Mario!" Luigi said, hauling a long green pipe on his back, "Can-a you please help-a me?"

As he whistled his franchise's highly memorable theme song, Mario was busy trying to make himself look nice, "Not-a now, Luigi. Make due-a without-a me!" he said, adjusting his suspenders.

"Ugh…" Luigi groaned to himself, "Why does-a he get off-a so easy while Luigi does-a all the work-a?"

Mario was wanting to make a big impression on the Princess, as always, though he did not already know that, despite him being a mere plumber bearing a cap and a mustache and with no royal status, she appreciated him simply for who he was, and the distances he has gone for her. As anybody would know, Mario was the one who had saved Princess Peach from any terrible fate that could await her whenever she was kidnapped by the ruler of the Dark Lands, King Bowser Koopa, a monstrous hybrid of a Koopa-Troopa and dragon, who would stop at nothing to make Peach his Queen. His plans were always foiled, though, when Mario would cross the Mushroom Kingdom to the Dark Lands, traverse the perilous castle, and ultimately whip Bowser out of the picture.

As the years past, kidnap after kidnap, Mario and the Princess have grown their relationship beyond the friendship zone, and are starting on what they hope to be an enjoyable romance. Mario hopes that this anniversary of the Kingdom would be an opportunity to take this whole thing to the next level.

(XXXX)

Princess Peach was up on the balcony outside of her bedroom, watching in delight as the construction went on down below. Another year the Kingdom has existed, another year they could have a party to enjoy. Peach was a kind-hearted princess who would always try to keep her kingdom in order, and her people safe. Only in her absence due to being kidnapped by Bowser did she ever fear the thought of what could ever happen to her kingdom. Bowser could end up putting the citizens under his tyranny, and rule over more land, making him virtually unstoppable.

Though her nightmares and insomnia revolving around her kidnaps have subsided after the first few times it happened, Peach still held a strong fear against the Koopa King. Hopefully, though, this anniversary party could help relieve her of some anxiety. Peach absolutely loved parties. Sure enough, all will be well, and the guards are able to be more alert more any foreign activity.

It was a little after dusk that the construction was finished, and within the next day, the party would begin, lasting for seven days.

**Yeah, crappy prologue. Too bland. I just didn't know what to put down. I'm still burned out from my writing class. Anyways, I'll have the first chapter coming your way. Hopefully it's better, but if it needs some improvements, let me know. Keep holding on…**


	2. Ch 1--Crushed Hopes

**Alright, another chapter, woo! I decided the conflict should start somewhere near the start this time, so I hope it does not end up coming on too fast for the rest of the story.**

The following day, the kingdomwide party began all over Toad Town. Many citizens from across the kingdom, and even neighboring kingdoms, like Sarasaland, had come to attend. Even Daisy, the High Princess of Sarasaland, and Peach's cousin, came for a visit. The crowds that filled the streets were immense and many businesses had closed for the week so that the employees could enjoy the Mushroom Kingdom's founding anniversary.

During the first evening banquet of the celebration, Peach stood behind a podium on the castle steps and tapped the microphone with her finger twice before speaking.

"Excuse me," Peach's voice said loudly over the intercom system, "attention all citizens and tourists of the Mushroom Kingdom!"

After a few seconds, the surrounding noises had all died down.

Peach cleared her throat, "Now, I would like to be the first to say how great of an honor it is for me to be the ruler of one of the most prominent and successful kingdoms in the Mushroom World. And with my advisor, Toadsworth, assisting in its foundation, we would really like to thank him for making all of this possible."

An applause slowly faded in from all over Toad Town as Toadworth took a bow to the people.

"But especially," Peach began after the noise stopped, "I would like to give my _personal_ thanks to the well-known founder of Mario Bros. Plumbing Service, Mario himself. He has risked his life many times over the years to ensure that I would remain safe from being forced to marry King Bowser Koopa of the Dark Lands, which would grant him more power than any living being should ever possess."

The crowd turned its attention to Mario, and gave a massive applaud. Mario waved his special red cap in the air over his head.

Peach glanced over at Mario and smiled passionately at him, making him blush, turn his head down, and make him move his leg nervously.

"Now," Peach spoke into the microphone again, "without any further formalities—"

Just then, tremor started up, causing a few glasses to fall off of the tables, signs to topple over, and pavement to become uneven.

"Hey!" Peach said, now lying on the steps due to her balance being thrown off, "What's going on?"

"I don't-a know!" said Luigi.

Peach looked back over at the crowd, who was apparently clearing away from a circle of ground that began to spin, like a spiraling sinkhole. After a few moments, a magenta dome of light appeared from under it and surfaced at ground-level. It dimmed until it had vanished, and from the red smoke it had left behind stepped…

"BOWSER!" Several people said simultaneously as they ran as fast as they could in all directions. Even the toad guards, who were trained to deal with this kind of situation, were too scared to take action.

"Surprise!" the Koopa King's voice boomed out through an electronic bullhorn. He slowly approached the castle steps, followed by rows of Koopa Troopas. "And just what's been happening lately, Princess? Might I say you are lookin' _fabulous_ tonight!" he said with a wolf-whistle at the end.

Peach just glared, "Don't try to flatter me! And especially, DON'T TRY TO COME NEAR ME!" she yelled, charging up her power in a glowing pink sphere, which she held hovering in Bowser's direction.

Bowser held up his hands, "Hey, whoa! No need to get all hot-headed, Princess! Just thought I'd _drop in_."

"Drop-a in?" Mario said as he fell from the sky and landed in front of the Dragon-Koopa, who, surprisingly and without hesitation, cowered at the sight of the mustached hero.

"No…not today, Mario." Bowser said through his hands, "I didn't come here to fight anyone…or kidnap anyone!"

Several citizens and foreigners began to peek out from their hiding places to see what was going on, as they had assumed Bowser would attack.

Peach stood up, "You're not here…to attack? What's that supposed to mean?" she asked, still not convinced.

"It's because I'm _done_." Bowser said, "I've finally come to realize that repeatedly kidnapping you and threatening to wage war with the Mushroom Kingdom…hasn't exactly worked out so well for me. Because, as you know, I have…" he sighed in embarrassment, "…had my ass handed to me _over and over_ again by that red pudgy pipe-scaler." He pointed to Mario.

"Exact-a-ly!" Mario exclaimed, "And you will-a have it done-a to you again if-a you don't-a leave now!"

"Oh, come on!" Bowser retaliated, "I've had enough! I've fallen long distances, gotten burned in lava, barbequed with fireballs, flattened by your boots! I mean, don't you think that that is pushing it a little _too_ far?"

"Why are you here?" Peach interjected.

"Because!" Bowser began, "Because I want to settle our differences right here and now, and I would like to start an official friendship between our kingdoms, especially a friendship with _you_, Princess."

Peach's jaw dropped in astonishment, "You kidnap me repeatedly, you attack my kingdom, and then you have the gall to try and form a truce? Just what comes to your mind at first?"

Bowser's face began to fall, "Oh, come on, _please_?" he asked, practically begging for Peach's forgiveness.

"Don't-a trust him, Princess." Luigi advised, "Let's-a not forget, I sometimes had-a to deal with-a him too, not just-a Mario."

"Indeed," Toadsworth added, "as your advisor, I would strongly recommend declination of this proposal. Even with as rude and mild as it is, I believe it would be the best option for any given circumstance."

Peach slowly looked from her allies to Bowser, who had his hands clasped in front of him, making him look very childish. Finally, she hardened her expression, "There's no way we can trust you after what you have done! I will _never_, not until the end of time, want to be friends with _you_, you…monster!"

Bowser let his jaw drop slightly as his eyes widened with sorrow.

"You may think you can be considered a good person, but I do not see that happening any time soon!" Peach continued, "Me and Mario are happy to be together, and I would choose him any day over _you_! I hate you! I want you out of this world! I WISH YOU WOULD DIE!"

Bowser clenched his teeth and shut his eyes tight; he could not just take in what Peach had just said. It was his worst nightmare come to fruition. This was, beyond any possibility of doubt, the worst night in his entire life. But he was simply going to leave without giving anyone here the satisfaction of seeing his soft side.

"Fine…" Bowser said, "…I will just get out of your hair, no attack, no kidnap, no harm done." He started to head back to the black platform he had come to Toad Town on, when he stopped and turned back around, "But before I go, I want you to know something…"

Absolute silence filled the air as Bowser prepared himself for what he was about to do.

"I love you, Princess. I have always loved you, and more than anything else in the world. The only reason that I have kept kidnapping you, is to _be with you_. I know that you would never show any appreciation for a…a monster. And that's one thing that I hate about people; they take one look at me, and run for their lives, even if I mean them no harm. Don't you see? _That_ is the reason why I have been so mean—because everyone hates me! But you will have to worry no more, because I will be sure to completely cease all Dark Lands activity from passing into the Mushroom Kingdom. Goodbye, Princess Peach Toadstool! Though you may never want to see me again, and because I am apparently a big, frickin' loser, just remember what I said, and that I am sorry for everything that I have done. I should have handled it all differently, but my instincts drove me out of whack. So, once again, goodbye."

Without another word, Bowser turned his back, and got onto the circular platform as the glowing dome encased the Koopas again, and it sank back into the earth, leaving a deep circular crater.

**Woah, that was deep. I have to admit, even I am stunned at what I type. Anyways, the next part will be coming soon! Just don't touch that dial! Wait, this isn't radio…oh, never mind. Keep holding on…**


	3. Ch 2--Possible Honesty

**Well, I've got another chapter coming your way! Get it while it's hot (and I reference that to the date it was posted…though you can view it at any time. Bleh, what am I saying?) Oh well, on with the fic!**

Everyone was baffled by what had just happened; Bowser had never, not _once_, come to the Mushroom Kingdom without doing anything bad or stupid (well, then again, he did cause the huge hole in the ground which was quickly debated about being turned into a lake). It was what Bowser said that had clued everyone in on what he had came for, but failed as a result.

"He was-a lying!" Mario said, "It-a was a trick! He was-a trying to get-a the Princess to-a let her guard-a down!"

Toadsworth rubbed his chin, "That could be it." He said, "We must now take drastic precautions, as he could be wrong about 'leaving forever'."

Peach still thought about what she heard. She had the ability to record the consciousness of another person; what they were doing, how they felt, what they were thinking. But, she couldn't sense any form of trickery or deception in the Koopa King's speech. It could be because he was not human or toad, but still…

"I don't think he could have been lying." Peach said. All eyes turned on her with shock.

"What?" Daisy asked.

Toadsworth was speechless for a moment, "…Princess, how could you say something like—"

"I think I might have hurt him!" Peach said, suddenly feeling guilty, "Oh, why did I have to be so direct and blunt…?"

Toadsworth cleared his throat "A creature like him obviously has no feelings! It really would not matter what you say to him. I'm quite sure he was just feigning his—"

"You don't understand!" Peach cut Toadsworth off, "All I could sense is that, while he was talking, he was sincere. I could easily tell that he was fighting back tears…" Peach's own face fell, "…pretty hard, too."

"So…" Daisy began, "…you think that creep-o really…_loves_ you?"

Slowly, Peach nodded, "I know it seems weird, and I think it is, too!" she claimed, "I mean, it just wouldn't work! I'm a human, and he's a Koopa. Even if we were acquainted, I don't think that a physical relationship is possible."

"Yes." Mario said, "So we can-a forget about this-a misfortune, and continue the party! _Bring on-a the spaghetti_!"

"Mario, wait," Peach said, "I still think I might have hurt Bowser. I'm sure that even a big guy like him can be easily taken down by the wrong words from the wrong person. Personally…I feel that we should make it up to him."

Toadsworth was outraged, "What are you saying, Princess? That we deliberately _assist_ the enemy to recover?"

Peach sighed, "You know, Toadsworth, I really wouldn't call him a true 'enemy'. At least, not any more…" she looked up at the sky.

_Not any more…_

**Yeah, short chapter. It was getting pretty late, and I need my sleep *yawn*. So, I'll get this updated soon…as long…as you…Keep holding on…ZZZZ…**


	4. Ch 3--Consolation and Alternatives

**Happy New Year! I hope you all are enjoying the first few hours of 2014! To celebrate, let's get another chapter in, shall we?**

Nearly all night and well into the next morning, Bowser lay awake in his bed, staring at the ceiling and tears streaming down his face and soaking the areas of the pillow on the side of his head. He was surely going to be dehydrated from tearing out his body's water. When the Koopalings were getting impatient for their father to come down for breakfast, they voted to send Bowser Jr. up to check on him.

"Papa?" Bowser Jr. said, knocking on the door to his father's bedroom, "Are you in there?"

There was no answer. Slowly, Bowser Jr. opened the door to find his father still lying in bed with bloodshot eyes and a thoroughly soaked pillow underneath him.

"Papa, breakfast is being served!" Bowser Jr. said urgently, "You're gonna miss it!"

Bowser turned to face the other way, "…Not right now, son." He said.

The young Koopa Prince was surprised; his father thought of almost nothing but food! How could he turn down a buffet of over 19 different kinds of meat?

"Daddy just needs a little time alone right now…" Bowser said.

Sighing in disappointment, Bowser Jr. shut the door and returned to the Dining Hall to tell his siblings about his father's denial to the offer.

"Why is papa still lying in bed?" Larry asked, completely lost, "He would just come here every morning and suck all the meat down like a black hole!"

Ludwig shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know, but hey, it leaves more for us!"

"NO!" Lemmy chimed in, "We gotta find out why papa's acting all sad!"

"_I_ know what can get him on his feet…" Roy suggested, before being cut off.

"Nuh-uh!" Wendy exclaimed, "You are not going to use dynamite outside his window again!"

Roy sighed, "Fine…" he muttered, disappointed, "…hey, Morton!"

"S'up?" Morton replied.

Roy clasped his hands together, "I'll need you to get me some…um…'boom-boom sticks'." He said, emphasizing the last part of the sentence.

"That's secret slang for dynamite!" Ludwig said, "I do not want to risk getting into trouble for destroying the stained glass window again!"

"Oh-oh, I know-I know!" Iggy said in his usual hyperactive tone.

The Koopalings all sighed, "What, Iggy?" they said simultaneously.

"We could-we could lift up papa's bed like a forklift, carry it out under the sun, like a tanning bed, and papa will get out when he starts baking like a slab of beef!" Iggy said, really fast.

All of the children of Bowser stared at Iggy Koopa awkwardly.

"That will just piss papa off!" Larry said.

"I think we should all just take time to think about doing something good for papa. We'll take out anything we don't agree with from the plan, and do something that we all think will help him feel better." Bowser Jr. suggested.

"The first thing, though," Wendy began, "is to find out why he's so down in the dumps."

(XXXX)

Kamek and Kammy Koopa, two elite magikoopa sorcerors, both tried to console their king.

"Your laziness?" Kammy said, knocking on the door, "Are you still in there?"

"…Go away!" Bowser's voice came from inside.

"Your stubbornness!" Kamek intervened, "I am well aware that Princess Peach has caused some…well…complications for you."

"Yes," Bowser's voice came, "I don't need to be reminded of it!"

"Well, see," Kammy began, "we might be able to help you get her to like you, Your Loneliness."

"Yeah, how? Can you just wave that wand and make her see me as some hot, hunky human?" Bowser asked, getting irritated from being disturbed.

"I'm afraid it won't be like that, since there is no spell that can alter desires…" Kamek said, "…but there is something that could _possibly_ assist in you winning her affection."

Instead of a grumbling reply, the magikoopas could hear Bowser stand from his bed and rapidly make his way to the door. Sure enough, he opened it up.

"There is?" Bowser asked, instantly amazed, "What is it? Give it to me!"

The magikoopas looked at each other with uncertainty.

"See, Your Eagerness," Kammy said, "the thing is…this magic is ancient, beyond our comprehension. We are familiar with its properties, but the chances of surviving exposure to it could be…quite slim."

Slowly, the big smile on Bowser's face drooped, "What? What does that mean?" He asked, confused.

Kamek cleared his throat, "We don't know for sure, but we can sense something about the energy from the relic we found to be quite…intense. It seems to be more than the average koopa could handle, at least in _most_ cases."

Bowser rubbed his chin, "Well, could you show it to me?" he asked.

The two magikoopas nodded, and Kammy pulled out a small chest from under her robe. She opened it, and a glowing, humming red stone the size of a half-pint water bottle emitting aura particles in random directions hovered upwards out of it. Kammy "held" it by keeping her hand a few inches under it as it floated.

"This is the ancient relic that was dug up in an abandoned ruby mine." Kamek said, "It has…a power…a force."

Kammy added on: "It is capable of altering living genes to suit the user's desires, all the while keeping track of the original genetic code. Once its powers are infused to a living thing, it can take the form of another creature…even a human."

Bowser stared at the glowing stone, "Really? Why don't I just try—"

Kammy pulled it away, "No! You can't risk it!" she exclaimed, "It's been known to work similar to a virus and that it can make some DNA become cancerous, which, even for the stone, is irreversible. On top of all that, drawing too much energy from it to infuse to your genes can kill you…instantly."

Bowser darted his eyes around with uncertainty. Would he go on living the rest of his life alone, or would he take a risk and attempt to have a chance with Peach, that is, if he were to survive?

Kammy passed the stone to Bowser, "The choice is yours." She said, "But I hope that, if you choose to use it, you will still live to reign over the Dark Lands."

"Yeah, me too." Bowser said, staring at the floating stone in his hand.

With that, the two magikoopas left, both with worried expressions on their faces. Bowser shut the door to his room, and pondered on whether or not to use this power. If it was beyond the understanding of the wisest sorcerers in the land, then this was going to be like running through a forest blindfolded without hitting a tree.

But he longed to be human so he could be with Peach (and, naturally, he was always curious about what it would be like to be a human). After spending hours and hours of thought, pacing, consideration, possibility, and other factors, Bowser made his decision…

He took out a sheet of parchment from his desk, and wrote a note in the nicest handwriting he could:

_Dear Princess Peach,_

_I just wanted you to know that I have taken your words into consideration and that I have learned my lesson about attacking and kidnapping. In an attempt to make it up to you, I am going to use a magic on myself to turn human, but Kammy and Kamek have told me that it is very unstable. If I die, please understand that it will be for you. I really wish you would not have to read this letter in the event that it does happen. But, always remember…I have loved you, always. Even when I have been a complete asshole, I still love you._

_-King Bowser Koopa._

After finishing his note (which was now damp due to the teardrops that had splashed onto it), he folded it up and wrote "Give to Princess Peach in the event of King Bowser's death", and set it on his bed.

He then proceeded to pick up the glowing relic, close his eyes, and channel his life force through the stone. The stone began to glow brighter, and Bowser began to feel a strange sensation spread through his body like rushing water. His temperature rose, his muscles felt sore, his heart rate elevated, and he was sweating bullets. A glowing red triangle with a vertical line going through it appeared on Bowser's chest, almost like a fluorescent tattoo.

_I want to be human…_ Bowser thought.

After finishing channeling the relic's power, Bowser let the stone fall to the floor as the symbol on his chest began to glow brighter.

"Ugh…my head…" Bowser moaned, pressing his palms to his temples, "…I don't feel so good…"

His skull felt like it was melting from heat. Slowly, it spread down throughout his body. He felt movement within his bowels like he had eaten something alive. The feeling was making Bowser nauseous, but he was in too much discomfort to worry about it.

Before Bowser could even begin to comprehend what his body was doing, he saw that his claws began to shrink and become transparent. His skin changed from yellow to a pasty peach color. He could feel his spiked wristbands gradually getting looser until they fell off and clattered on the floor. Weight from his shell was steadily decreasing. He could feel the skin on his belly tighten and his abdomen shrink. A strong tingling feeling on the base of his spine told him that his tail was slowing shrinking, and the same thing happened on his head, which meant his horns were gone. Prickling across his neck and face appeared as his mane began to get longer and cover his entire head. He could also feel his legs and arms slowly becoming thinner and longer, but at the same time, it felt like the room was getting larger.

As Bowser felt his face changing shape, like it had turned to clay and someone was molding it, he passed out for an unknown reason.

**I really hate to end right as Bowser completed his transformation, but this chapter seemed pretty long to me. Anyways, everybody enjoy your break from school! Check back soon for the next part, which will hopefully flow into the story well, I hope. Keep holding on…**


	5. Ch 4--Pros and Cons of being Human

**Alright, sorry for the mix-up with the chapters a little earlier; my computer was acting kind of funky. It might have a minor virus on it, so I'll get it working properly again soon. In the meantime, here's another chapter to shed some more light!**

Slowly, Bowser opened his eyes to find himself lying on the floor. His head was spinning and his vision was blurred, but it all stopped after a moment.

_Damn,_ Bowser thought, _what happened last night?_

He rubbed his head, and found it to be surprisingly hairy.

_Ngh…guess I need to comb my mane a little bet—WHAT THE…?_ The Koopa King stopped as he saw his arm as he lowered it from his head.

Instead of its normal yellow, it had turned the same color as a Caucasian human's. Was puzzled him even more was that his claws had vanished as well.

"Could it be…?" He said, noticing that his voice had changed as well; it was higher-pitched and sounded more human, yet it was still deep.

He quickly made his way into the bathroom and his heart nearly stopped at the sight he saw in the mirror; Bowser, the Koopa King, was now a tall, slim, very rugged-looking young human crowned with fiery hair the exact same color as his mane, a few inches past shoulder-length. As Bowser raised his hand, so did the human reflection. He touched his face, and the human did the same. After taking a minute to overcome his shock of the whole thing, he began to admire his human form.

Who knew that, despite looking quite bulky as a Koopa, he would be relatively healthy-looking as a human? Though his muscles were mostly gone, his arms, legs, and abdominal regions still had some solid build. He also touched himself on his back out of curiosity; the sensation of having no shell felt pretty strange to Bowser. His eyes, however, seemed unaffected by the changes to his anatomy, since they were still the same blood-red color as they were in his original form.

He then shifted his attention to the gray triangular mark on his chest. He had absolutely no idea where it came from. He did not ever get any tattoos, and he knew that this was not something that would form naturally on anyone. He decided to simply take advantage of the situation and see if he could get into the Mushroom Kingdom for a visit with Peach.

When he noticed his large spiked bands scattered across the floor where he was lying, and felt the cool air starting to penetrate his skin and cause goosebumps, he realized that he probably shouldn't be walking around his castle naked…at least, not naked as a human. He yanked the red and black sheet off his bed and wrapped it around himself as a makeshift cover. He opened his door, and began to make his way through the labyrinth of hallways, which now seemed to be larger than before…now he knew how Mario felt when he traversed the place. As he was walking, he was unfortunate to come across two Koopa-Troopa guards who spotted him approach.

"Hey, a human got in here!" One of them yelled.

"Well, don't hang about!" The other one said, "Seize him!"

Bowser's eyes widened as his own guards rushed at him, "No, stop!" he yelled, trying to get away. Since he was wearing a bedsheet for cover, and largely since he was unaccustomed to sprinting as a human, the two guards tackled him to the ground and cuffed him.

"Just what do you think you are doing?" Bowser asked.

"You are trespassing!" One of the Koopa-Troopas said, "We are going to take you to the dungeons where you will serve time for your act!"

"Wait, you have to listen to me!" Bowser said, "I am King Bowser! I've just figured out how to change my form!"

The guards laughed, "Do you honestly believe that we are as stupid as amoebas? I bet it took you a long time to think that one up…"

"Oh yeah?" Bowser asked, looking up behind him, "Quiz me."

The guard who was not on top of him rubbed his chin, "Okay, what's King Bowser's favorite color?"

"Red." Bowser answered.

"And why?" The guard questioned further.

"Because it is the color of fire and power." Bowser finished.

The guard narrowed his eyes, "That's good, but everyone knows that one. Now for a harder one: What is King Bowser's Zodiac sign?"

"Taurus." Bowser responded.

"Alright, I'm starting to believe you," the guard said, "but you could very well be secretly getting this info from the King. I'm gonna ask something that he would never tell anyone else but his closest minions!"

"That includes us!" the other guard said.

"Yes," the first guard responded, "now, what is King Bowser's most desired ambition?"

Without hesitation, Bowser responded: "To be the ruler of the world and shape it to my image of awesomeness!"

The Koopa-Troopas both dropped their jaws.

"Unbelievable…" One said.

"Incredible…" the other added, "…you…you really are him, aren't you?"

"Oh, please forgive us, Your Humaness!" the first guard said, quickly removing the binders from Bowser's wrists.

"Whatever…" Bowser said, massaging his wrists.

"But…" one of the Koopa-Troopas said, "…what happened to you?"

Bowser strained to remember what had went down last night, "Well, I used some sort of glowing crystal egg that Kammy and Kamek gave to me…they said it would turn me human, but might have killed me…and I used it, passed out, and woke up to find myself like this."

"Those two crazy magic-trick crackpots?" A guard asked, "Why do you still have those two around?"

Bowser narrowed his eyes, "Hey, Kamek knows his spells and hexes off the back of his hand, and Kammy is one of my most trustworthy advisors!" he said.

The Koopa-Troopas didn't comment any more on the Magikoopas.

"Well, we will inform the castle that you are human now, and that we were able to confirm it." One of them said.

Bowser wondered for a moment; didn't the Magikoopas mention that he could change into a human and back at will? He remembered his strong desire to be a human just before he transformed, so maybe if he were to do the same for changing back…

_I want to return to normal…_ Bowser forced himself to believe. Once again, the mark on his chest began to glow as the Koopa-Troopas stopped and stared in shock, and he slowly morphed back into his Koopa form. After he finished changing and the glowing mark went out, he smiled at his minions.

"Well, how was that?" he asked, his voice back to normal.

"That…" one said, but trailed off.

"…was amazing!" the other finished for him, "Wow, that just totally blew my mind! You can change into a human and back? Does it hurt?"

"Well, it wasn't very pleasant the first time. I guess my bod was just not used to it. That time just now…it still hurt, but it was 'good' pain." Bowser said.

The guards raised their brows, "Good pain?" they asked.

"It's hard to explain," Bowser began, "it's like…when you lay down after a hard workout."

"Oh…" both the guards said simultaneously.

"Anyways, I'm off to the Mushroom Kingdom to join the party! And to see the Princess!" he said, changing back to a human and heading off, just before the two stopped him.

"Hold it," one said, "you can't talk to a princess looking like that!"

"Yeah, you need to be both presentable…and at her equal status." The other said, "And who has equal power to that of a princess…?"

"…A prince!" Bowser replied, "Oh, come on! I hated that title, especially when my father would always try to undermine my power…"

The guards sighed, "Do you want to meet the Princess, or not?" one asked.

"Yes!" Bowser said, immediately gaining composure, "Yes, I do!"

"Alright, come this way…" the other guard said, escorting him down the hall.

**Damn, another suspense-filled stopping point. Oh well, I will try to make more time to get some more writing done, provided that my parents don't drag me into anything "important" (I still find it hard to believe that I have five fics with thousands of views, and even they don't know!) Anyways, see ya! Keep holding on…**


	6. Ch 5--Meet the Prince

**Hello, picking back up where we left off! School has started back up for the second semester, which I am very pissed about, but oh well. Anyways, a new chapter that I hope would be an improvement over the last one! Though it will not always happen, I always try to top my previous work.**

For the next half of the day, several Koopa-Troopas, Goombas, Boos, Dry-Bones, and Shy-Guys all ran about to gather things needed to give the human Bowser a Mushroom Kingdom-acceptable appearance. He had to remain still while some of his minions carefully trimmed the ends of his hair, bangs and mullet, to be "perfectly aligned with one another", as well as washing and combing it afterwards. They then tried to give his eyebrows an outward taper, which ended up looking surprisingly decent.

It was then that Bowser was given his attire that he would were to the anniversary celebration: a long-sleeve black T-shirt, white slim-fit trousers, black boots with semi-high heels, a pentagram necklace with the circle cut off, and a long white cotton jacket that resembled a labcoat, but had colored cuffs and hem (it's like Soma Cruz's jacket). The Koopa King spent the next ten minutes getting all of the stuff on without messing up his hair before he finally stepped out to show everyone.

"Well, how do I look?" Bowser asked.

Everyone gave an approving nod or hum.

"I think you could pass as a foreign prince." A hover Paratroopa said, "Speaking of that, you got your High Prince Emblem?"

Bowser almost forgot about it. He pulled it out of his pocket and pinned it to the jacket lapel. The Mushroom World exclusively used this particular emblem, regardless of the kingdom or country, for the High Prince.

"Now, obviously," Bowser said, "I need some kind of alias for my alter-ego. Any one, any ideas?"

After spending some time debating, Bowser managed to decide on a good cover name which will be revealed later, and set off to Toad Town through a nearby warp pipe, which proved to be easy, since he was now human.

(XXXX)

Peach was really enjoying the celebration, especially after Kart-racing with Mario and her friends, playing a Party-style board game with minigames, and live performances of Mario going to rescue her in the ever-famous platform/side-scrolling style, Bowser being acted out by two Toads in a costume. This had brought back many good memories of Mario coming to her rescue from him, yet all of the enjoyment was tainted by the thought of how she had hurt Bowser, though she was the real victim. Did she actually go too far by saying she completely despised him?

At the end of the performance, Daisy made her way through the audience to the stage.

"Wow, that was awesome!" the Sarasaland princess complimented, "You were really good up there, Peach!"

"Yeah, thanks…" Peach said, turning away as she began to let her thoughts get to her.

Daisy raised a brow, "What's wrong?"

"Look, Daisy, I just need to—" Peach said before being cut off.

"Oh, come on! It's a party! Have some fun! Don't stress about your duties as a princess!" Daisy said, "There's a dance coming up after dinner, and Luigi wants to go with me! EEEE!" she pressed her fists to her chin while smiling greatly and doing high-knees in place.

Peach uttered a smile, "Well, I guess you're right." She said, "I think maybe Mario would want to go with—" She stopped at something that she had seen coming down the main stretch of road from the Toad Town main entrance.

Slowly striding down the road was a young man who looked slightly older than Peach with hair the color of flames. Both it and his long white jacket were rippling in the breeze as he approached. As he came nearer, Peach could almost swear she saw a glint of light in his eye when he smiled at her. It was very strange; she did not particularly believe in love at first sight, yet she was immediately smitten as the charming man came towards her.

"Ooh," Daisy said when she noticed the strange new human walking into Toad Town, "who's that?"

"I don't know." Peach said, "I've never seen him before. From how he looks, though…" she stared at his clothing and hairstyle, "…I'd say he's from a very faraway civilization."

The red-haired human stopped in front of Peach.

"Greetings, Princess Peach Toadstool of the Mushroom Kingdom," the human Bowser said, "I am truly honored to be in your presence."

"Thanks," Peach said, reluctantly, "and you are…?"

Bowser cleared his throat, "Ah, yes, I am Richter Valentine, High Prince of the Amanita Empire."

"Oh, well," Peach began, hesitantly, "Hello, Prince, nice to meet you."

Bowser bowed his head once, "It's nice to meet _you_, too." He said.

"But, um, what are you doing here? Alone, too?" Peach asked.

Bowser smirked, "Well, I just like to travel without the expense of unnecessary security or transportation charters. I can take care of myself just fine." He said.

Peach raised a brow "But, you are a High Prince. Surely you weren't raised in a way that—"

"Well…" Bowser tried to think of what to say to counter her uncertainty, "…I would have one of my most trusted wizards take my form and carry out my duties on some occasions, while I would often set out in the wild with basic supplies. I've learned to adapt and survive."

"Oh," Peach said, "that actually sounds interesting!" she turned her head to the side, still looking at him, while she put a hand on the side of her mouth to aim her whisper at Bowser, "I might try that sometime, but just don't tell my advisor, Toadsworth…"

Toadsworth looked up from a pamphlet he was reading, "Someone say something about me?" he asked.

"Nope!" Peach said, forcing a smile and standing up straight.

Toadsworth simply went back to the pamphlet.

"So, I guess now that you're here…" Peach said to Bowser, "…you need a place to stay for the week?"

Bowser nodded, "Yeah, I do. Could you get me a room at a five-star hotel, by chance? I will pay every Coin it's worth." he asked.

Peach rubbed her chin, "Well, we do have some unoccupied rooms in the castle…would that be alright?"

Bowser nodded eagerly, "Yeah! That would be just fine." He said.

"Alright, Prince," she said, "but don't get too lazy, because the party is still going strong!"

Bowser chuckled, "Will do. And please, call me Richter." He said.

"And also…" Peach began, but hesitated, "…there's gonna be a dance later this evening…over in the ballroom…" the Mushroom Kingdom Princess blushed, "…would you like to go with me."

"Dance? With you? Hot dog!" Bowser said, before stammering to correct what he said so as to avoid coming off as not princely, "Uh—um, I-I mean…yes, it would be an honor."

Peach smiled brightly, "Great! The dance starts at 8:00. See you there, Richter!" she said before heading off.

Bowser waved as she left, "See ya, Princess!" he said.

"Call me Peach!" she yelled back.

Bowser was honestly surprised. His human form had given him the upper hand in gaining some type of opportunity with Peach. Hopefully, nothing would happen that could ruin this or reveal his identity. He decided to head around Toad Town to see what to do, when a familiar red figure stopped in front of him. The one whose sight, whose voice, whose very name, could send Bowser into a rage.

"Mario!" Bowser said, trying to hold in a boiling anger, "Can I help you?"

"Yes!" Mario said, glaring, "You can-a help, by staying away from-a the Princess!"

Bowser smiled, "Look, plumber, 1: you will never address a prince by 'you', you will refer to them as 'your highness'. 2: The Princess will be a lot more likely to befriend me and forget about you than it being the other way around."

Mario folded his shoulders, "Just-a watch your back!" he said before storming off.

Bowser chuckled, "Heh heh heh…who knew he could have such poor anger management?" he said to himself.

**I feel this could be better…but, I'm too lazy to revise it. Anyways, that's it for chapter five, and from here on out, the story should start to get better. So, keep checking for updates, and eventually, I will have this story going smoothly. Keep holding on…**


	7. Ch 6--Carmilla

**Alright, now for another chapter! I think the story seems like it could be rushing, having been jumping from location and time to another, but that's just my opinion. I'm sure that it should be fairly long for a fanfic, though.**

Bowser was quite surprised by how enjoyable the party at Toad Town was; he participated in several of the civilian activities alongside Peach, which included the life-size Party board games and minigames, Kart-racing, shopping, dining, et cetera. This was all going surprisingly better than Bowser had expected.

"You know," Bowser said to Peach when they were walking through Coconut Mall, "I have never had a better day in my life before I met you."

Peach blushed and smiled, "Yeah, and I would definitely say the same, but…" she lost her smile and sighed, "…I still can't get something off of my mind."

"What's wrong?" Bowser asked.

Peach sighed again, "Well…I feel like I have just completely emotionally destroyed King Bowser Koopa, the ruler of the Dark Lands. Though he is our enemy…I don't know, I just feel like I have made the wrong choice by telling him off, pretty harshly too." She said.

_Wow,_ Bowser thought, _I would never have guessed that she would regret actually rejecting me! This can't be real…_

It wasn't until they had made it to the fountain court that Bowser returned from his episode of amazement that he noticed a human woman with long black hair approach.

"Hey, how ya doin'?" She asked.

Bowser looked around, "Who, me?" he asked.

The woman nodded, "Yep. So, what's say you and me, we get a burger or something?" she asked.

"Well, as much as I like burgers, I will have to say 'no'." Bowser responded, "I don't even know you."

"Oh, right, what am I thinking?" The woman said, "I'm Carmilla."

"Carmilla?" Bowser asked.

"Well, my real name is Lyra, but I hate the name Lyra, so people just call me Carmilla." she responded, smiling and showing nearly every one of her teeth.

Bowser pursed his lips, "Well, maybe another time. Me and the princess are on a date." He said.

Carmilla raised a brow, "…You're a prince, huh?" she asked.

"Yes, High Prince Richter Valentine of the Amanita Empire." Bowser stated.

Carmilla smiled again, "Well, I'm actually the Princess of the Agaricus Nation," she said, showing her Princess emblem to the two.

Peach slapped herself and gave a smile of surprise, "Oh, of course! Why didn't I spot that?" she said.

"Well, see you later, I hope?" Carmilla asked, "Are you going to the dance later?"

"Well, yeah, but—" Bowser began, before getting cut off suddenly by Carmilla.

"Good!" she said, "It's settled, I'll see you at the dance!" and with that, she set off on her way again.

Bowser was completely lost right now. Why did that woman randomly try to ask Bowser out? Did she find him attractive and acted on boldness? It wasn't very surprising to Bowser, considering how he looks in his human form, yet it still made him feel a bit uneasy. He did not feel like falling for any more women besides Peach.

Not only that, but there was a very strange presence around Carmilla. Something that made her seem cold and distant in comparison to any other human Bowser has come across. He figured that it might be because he views people differently now, since he is one of them, but…no. There was definitely something unusual about Carmilla, but Bowser had yet to put his finger on it.

"Oh, Princess-a!" Bowser suddenly heard a voice behind him say. He turned to see Mario, who he would have unleashed a jet of flame upon, had he been in his Koopa form.

"Mario!" Peach said, "What are you doing here?"

"I was-a wondering if you would like-a to go to the dance-a later tonight-a?" Mario asked Peach.

Peach rubbed her chin, "Well, I have already decided to go with Richter. Maybe another night?" she asked.

The plumber looked disappointed, but nodded in agreement, "O-kay. I will-a let you and the Prince-a dance-a together." He said before glaring at Bowser, which made the Koopa-turned-human chuckle.

"Anyways, would you at least like to come and see a movie with us?" Peach asked.

"Yes!" Mario said, "Let's-a go!"

And with that, they headed to the mall's movie theater, yet were unaware that, despite having seen Carmilla leaving, she actually hid and listened in on the whole thing.

"Just you wait, Valentine…" Carmilla whispered to herself, "…you'll be on a date with me soon enough, and I'll be sure to brush off that blonde-haired, pink-dressed snoot!" she laughed before discreetly following the three to the theater.

**Well, things are starting to pick up fast. Just when Bowser thought he was in the clear, Mother Nature just had to throw him a curveball, right? Well, that will have to do it for now, but the story will continue soon! Just stay patient! Keep holding on…**


	8. Ch 7--Not my Lover

**Alright, well…you know the usual. Let's begin.**

Bowser Jr. and the Koopalings had not been given the time to plan out something to cheer their father up, since they had been informed by Kammy and Kamek that he had gone off to the Mushroom Kingdom.

"Is he going to kidnap Mama Peach?" Lemmy asked, "I thought he said he'd stop!"

"Well, actually, he has gained the ability to become human, and he has decided to pay a visit to the Princess." Kammy said.

"What?" Bowser Jr. said, "He can change into a human? How?"

Kamek cleared his throat, "He used an ancient relic to alter his DNA, while the mystic power it has embedded in him has kept his original DNA as a "memory" genetic code."

Ludwig rubbed his chin, "Um…what?"

Kammy sighed, "He used a magical stone to change into a human, and he can also change back at will."

The Koopalings' eyes widened, "Really?" they all said.

Kammy nodded, "Yes, this power is really something…unusual, and interesting." She said, "We figured it would be of benefit to him…and to the Dark Lands."

"So, what you're saying…" Larry began, "…is that Papa is going to try to get Mama Peach to be his queen?"

"I believe so." Kammy said, "And if she is to agree, she cannot easily call off the marriage after the King reveals his identity. This, I believe, is _quite_ a good custom; the Dark Lands prohibits no-fault divorce."

"Hmm…" Bowser nodded in agreement, "…as a kid, I know I shouldn't care, but I'm glad we can cover more land!"

(XXXX)

Bowser, Peach, and Mario all got tickets to see the highly atrocious _Super Mario Bros. The Movie_, simply out of tradition of the infamous "Bad Movie Tuesday".

Mario thought that this parody of him was quite insulting, but neither Bowser nor Peach appeared to mind too much, as they believed that it was ambitious to try to take a different approach in an alternate universe.

"I think-a this movie is-a horrible!" Mario complained.

"Think you better shut your ass!" Bowser said, turning his head in Mario's direction without looking away from the screen.

Peach glanced over at Mario, "…Yes, Mario, please be quiet in the theater." She said.

Suddenly, Bowser felt someone sit in the chair next to him, opposite side to Peach.

"Hey, Richter! Hope you don't mind." She said, smiling.

"Carmilla?" Bowser asked, "What are you doing here?"

Carmilla snickered, "Watchin' a movie, duh! I saw you sitting up here, and figured I'd join. Is that okay?" she asked, smiling creepily.

"Uh…sure?" Bowser responded.

"Good!" she said, returning her attention to the movie. Bowser did the same.

Bowser reached into the popcorn at the same time as Peach, making their hands meet. They both quickly pulled back, blushed, and laughed awkwardly. Carmilla glared at the two.

_Just you wait, Richter Valentine…_ Carmilla thought, _…I will have you soon enough!_

**("Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson begins)**

After leaving the theater, Peach and Bowser requested Mario to give them some time alone, to which he reluctantly agreed. Meanwhile, Carmilla began to follow them to the Kart-races.

_She was more like a beauty queen from a movie scene._

_I said don't mind, but what do you mean, I am the one?_

_Who will dance on the floor in the round?_

_She said I am the one, who will dance on the floor in the round?_

During the race, Peach and Bowser were at neck-and-neck with each other, both laughing in joy as they looked at each other, having the time of their lives…up until Peach was hit with a green Koopa shell that must have taken great accuracy to hit her with, and it was launched by none other than…Carmilla, who pulled up to Bowser's side, smiling again. Bowser just narrowed his eyes at her and sped on.

_She told me her name was Billie Jean, as she caused a scene,_

_Then every head turned with eyes that dreamed of being the one._

_Who will dance on the floor in the round?_

After the Kart-races, Peach and Bowser both decided to compete in a Party board game. Bowser was trying to let Peach win, out of his sympathy for her. But, this quickly backfired when Carmilla, who was in last, ended up taking some stars and coins from her during the fifth-from-last turn (which, everyone knows, is the rules for this game). She was quite grateful for getting some form of justification.

_People always told me be careful of what you do;_

_And don't go around breaking young girls' hearts._

_And mother always told me be careful of who you love,_

_And be careful of what you do 'cause the lie becomes the truth._

During the minigames of the Party game, Carmilla would always try to make Peach her priority target in the general categories of minigame. But, whenever she would get the "1" spot in the "1 vs. 3" game layout, that was when things would get interesting; she would, depending on the case, avoid Peach, even if it meant getting caught by Bowser, or getting Peach first, as well as the Toad competing, and throw Bowser a bone by sparing him.

_Billie Jean is not my lover;_

_She's just a girl who claims that I am the one,_

_But the kid is not my son._

_She says I am the one, but the kid is not my son._

_For forty days and forty nights,_

_The law was on her side,_

_But who can stand when she's in demand;_

_Her schemes and plans._

_'Cause we danced on the floor in the round._

_So take my strong advice, just remember to always think twice._

_(Do think twice)_

_Do think twice._

It was then that the "Prince" and Princess decided to head to the massive arcade and play the traditional Mario Bros. arcade game, which was made as a tribute to Mario and Luigi's plumbing skills. Peach decided to be Mario, as Bowser did not want to play as his true enemy, so he decided to be Luigi. They were playing quite well, up until Carmilla came out of nowhere, shoved Peach out of the way ("Step aside, Pinkie!"), and took the controls. Bowser, in his monstrous form, would have found this amusing, but his human nature told him that what Carmilla did was not nice or funny at all.

_She told my baby we'd danced till three, then she looked at me,_

_Then showed a photo my baby cried his eyes were like mine (oh, no!)._

_'Cause we danced on the floor in the round, baby._

_People always told me be careful of what you do,_

_And don't go around breaking young girls' hearts._

_She came and stood right by me;_

_Just the smell of sweet perfume._

_This happened much too soon._

_She called me to her room._

Later, Peach and Bowser took a walk through a massive flower garden. Bowser thought flowers were sissy stuff, but after taking a second to get a hint of their aroma ("Mmm…best smell ever…"), he slowly began to reconsider. While Bowser was distracted by the smell of the flora, Peach decided to sit on the rim of the garden's fountain with a comb, and fix her hair. Unfortunately, Carmilla snuck up behind her, and shoved her into the fountain. Laughing quite hard, Carmilla quickly ran and hid in a thick tree before Peach would get up and see. Peach emerged from the water with an angry shriek, and Bowser rushed over to help her out.

_Billie Jean is not my lover;_

_She's just a girl who claims that I am the one,_

_But the kid is not my son._

_Billie Jean is not my lover;_

_She's just a girl who claims that I am the one,_

_But the kid is not my son._

_She says I am the one, but the kid is not my son._

_She says I am the one, but the kid is not my son._

After getting some dry clothes on, Peach met up with Bowser again to join the dinner party. The buffets were filled with some of the most delectable, succulent, mouth-watering royal dishes. Bowser was the first to make his selections (he would have hated vegetables in his Koopa form, but as a human, they didn't taste too bad), and Peach was about to join him, when…of course…Carmilla sat in the spot Peach was about to sit in, like Peach wasn't even coming. Irritated, Bowser stood and decided to take Peach to another spot to sit, leaving a completely bewildered Carmilla.

_Billie Jean is not my lover;_

_She's just a girl who claims that I am the one,_

_But the kid is not my son._

_She says I am the one, but the kid is not my son._

_She says I am the one,_

_You know what you did!_

_(She says he is my son)_

_Breaking my heart babe!_

_She says I am the one._

After dinner, the two decided to watch the fireworks explode over the castle. The array of shapes, colors, patterns, and text in the sky was amazing and dazzling. Once again, while enjoying the performance, Carmilla suddenly appeared next to Bowser again, and wrapped her arms around him. Shocked and with a contorted face, Bowser pried his arms loose from her grip and shoved her away with a lot of force.

_Billie Jean is not my lover._

_Billie Jean is not my lover._

_Billie Jean is not my lover._

_Billie Jean is not my lover._

_(Don't, Billie Jean)._

_Billie Jean is not my lover._

_Billie Jean is not my lover._

Bowser was surprised how everything was going with Peach. For the first time ever, she was actually grateful to be with him (well, not _him_-him, but…you get the idea). The only thing bothering him was that Carmilla girl. She has been really annoying, trying to get the first shot with him when he didn't want her. Maybe if he were to just brush her off, she would leave him alone.

Anyways, there was still one thing Bowser was looking forward to that he was sure would make this trip worthwhile; the ball.

**Yeah, I know I have a tendency to go overboard with songfic, but this one I really felt I couldn't pass up. I even listen to the songs as I am writing, just for empathy. May you Rest in Peace, Michael. Your legacy as the King of Pop will live in our hearts forever. That covers another chapter, so another will be on its way soon! Keep holding on…**


	9. Ch 8--Drawback

**Alright, it's the moment we've all been waiting for! The day Peach and "Bowser" share a dance with each other. It's time for… *dramatic timpani* …the ball!**

Peach was in her dressing room, putting on a black dress with spaghetti-straps, long with a nice pair of aquamarine earrings, high-heeled shoes, and a diamond-encrusted bracelet.

"I sure hope Richter will be impressed." She said to herself as she pulled her hair back into a ponytail.

(XXXX)

Bowser was in his room of the castle, replacing the black T-shirt he was wearing with a button-up shirt of the same color, along with a white vintage British-style cravat. He simply decided to continue wearing the same pants and jacket.

"Ooh, lookin' good!" he said to his reflection as he made some fine adjustments to the shirt, "Hopefully, the Princess doesn't think my only set of clothes are too…standard."

(XXXX)

Peach met up with Bowser at the entrance to the ballroom. Both stopped and admired each other.

"Wow," Bowser said, "I never knew you would look _that_ good in black! Heh, I hope that I'm not…underdressed."

Peach smiled, "Actually, that new shirt makes your entire suit look different." She said.

Bowser laughed, "Well then, m'lady…shall we waltz?" he said, motioning his arm at the door.

Peach nodded, "Yes. Let's." she said, happily.

They generally had a good time at the ball. No matter whether it was fast or slow songs, the two danced together with many two-person dances that were generally compatible with the rhythm.

"Wow, you're a good dancer, Richter!" Peach said, "Where'd you learn?"

Bowser shrugged his shoulder, "…Never took any lessons. Guess it just comes natural to me." He said, chuckling. It was true that Bowser never danced a lot, since he never took the time to stop focusing on conquering the Mushroom Kingdom; once, he decided to skip the ball following his mother and father's coronation as High King and Queen of the Dark Lands and just decided to see a movie with a few of his friends, since none of them had dates.

"I'll be taking this dance, thank you!" a girl said, forcing herself between Bowser and Peach.

"Oh, Carmilla…" Bowser said, dully.

Carmilla narrowed her eyes and smiled, "Hey, don't be like that! Let's have some fun!"

Bowser pushed her away, "Sorry, but I was dance with Peach—" he stopped as he noticed his voice drop and his lower face suddenly push out. It promptly returned to normal once Carmilla looked at him again, after trying to pull him over to another area.

"What was with your voice? It sounded deeper just now…" Carmilla said.

Bowser swallowed. Out of the lowest edge of his vision, he saw red light emanating from a spot on his chest, from what he assumed was the triangular mark. Carmilla couldn't see it because of the black shirt and cravat. A strange sensation spread through Bowser's entire body.

"O-oh, well, I will have a dance…but, I just need to do something real quick…" he tried to keep a casual expression while he pulled his hand out of Carmilla's grasp, which he could see and feel, had it claws start to grow back. He realized he was changing back into a Koopa, and he could _not_ be seen in his real form here. Not _ever_.

"What do you have to do?" Carmilla asked.

"Um…" Bowser was in a frenzy of panic due to his involuntary transformation, "…I have to…polish my sandals!" and with that, he rushed off, leaving Carmilla completely confused.

As he ran, Bowser tried to cover his head with his hands as he felt his horns slowly start to grow back, and his hair slowly retract back into his head (with the exception of his mane-spot). A weight growing on his back and his shirt getting tight was signaling to him that his shell was coming back. Several toads stared at him curiously as he ran, as they wondered why he was in such a rush.

Eventually, Bowser made it to a closet and locked himself inside. He rushed to get the shirt, jacket, pants, and shoes off before he ripped through them. Completely naked, Bowser waited for the final stages of his changes to subside, the triangular mark on his chest glowing the whole time, before he saw in a narrow mirror above the sanitation sink that he was now his original Koopa self. Wondering what to do next, he pulled out his Koopa-Kom and tried to contact Kammy.

"Yes, your Urgentness?" Kammy said when she appeared on screen.

"Kammy, I changed back to my own self! And I don't know how to become a human again!" Bowser said.

"Hmmm…" Kammy rubbed her chin, "…as I thought, you may have run out of magic, which will take time to build back up again."

Bowser bit his claws in worry, "How long!?" he demanded.

"If my calculations are correct…" she examined the stone that Bowser used to change himself, as well as write something in a notepad, "…it will take fifteen minutes for you to gain enough power to remain a human for at least eight hours."

"WHAT!?" Bowser shouted, "Fifteen minutes!? I can't keep the Princess waiting for me that long!"

"Calm down, your Hastiness!" Kammy said, "If you do the math, you'll notice that a minute of waiting it good for a half-hour."

"So, wait, if the ball is three hours, and I need another for saying goodnight to the Princess, that makes…" Bowser stopped and thought. To Kammy, it looked like he was straining to think.

Finally, Kammy gave him the answer: "…Eight minutes." She said, "Unless you can create another excuse to disappear briefly."

Bowser sighed, "Alright, I'll do four minutes right now, and a little later, I'll tell the Princess I have to do something else, change back, wait a little bit, change again, and come back."

"Sounds good to me!" Kammy said.

"Yeah," Bowser said, "I'm glad you told me. I was extremely worried for a moment!"

"Very well," Kammy said, "I shall bid you farewell."

Bowser shut off his Koopa-Kom, and change back into a human again. As he was about to head out the door, he stepped on his jacket and suddenly remembered what he was supposed to do.

"Whoops," Bowser said to himself, "forgot…no clothes."

He quickly put his attire back on, and made any adjustments he could while hastily making it back to the ballroom. Now that he knows what to do, hopefully all could go well from here on out.

"Hey, Ricky!" Carmilla said, who happened to be standing behind the door as Bowser walked in.

"Ngh, what do you want?" Bowser asked, annoyed.

Carmilla laughed, "Have you forgotten? You promised me a dance!" she said, holding out her hand, which Bowser brushed away.

"Sorry, but I'd rather dance with Peach." He said, trying to get away.

"What!?" Carmilla said, shocked, "But why? You promised!"

"Because…" Bowser sighed. He couldn't hold it back any longer. He had to be completely honest, "…because I don't like you! Can you get that through your rock-hard skull?"

Carmilla's face fell, "Wh…wh…WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!?" she shrieked.

People all around looked over to see what was going on. The music stopped as well.

_Uh-oh,_ Bowser thought,_ I've just completely messed up this night for everyone._

**Bad place to stop, huh? Anyways, I just put down what I **_**think**_** people would say on a date, because I have never been on one. One thing I want to make clear: I am writing down fics like this in order to sedate myself from going insane due to a lack of a significant other. If what I write down is not how a first date would normally go, please let me know. Anyways, I will be back soon with more light to shed on this whole thing. Keep holding on…**


	10. Ch 9--Return of Darkness

**Hey, I'm back again, here to provide more insight on the situation at hand in the story. Well, as always, the plot thickens!**

"Wh…wh…WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!?" Carmilla shrieked.

_Uh-oh_,_ I've just completely messed up this night for everyone._ Bowser thought to himself as bead of sweat started to form under his hair.

Carmilla let her eyes fall to the floor in disbelief as people looked around to see why she shouted.

"N…no…" Carmilla muttered, "…you're lying…"

Bowser sighed, "No, you and I were never together to begin with! Just accept that and move on!" he said as people began to chuckle at Carmilla.

"But…I…you are the only one I've ever felt this way about…" she said, bending down on her knee "…please! Will you marry me!?"

People all around burst into laughter.

Bowser smiled and held Peach's hand, "I will not! Peach is the girl for me!" he said, proudly.

"Yeah, I like Richter! So back off, pussy!" Peach said.

Carmilla wiped the tears from her eyes, and took a moment to assess the situation; her love with another…a brutal rejection…public humiliation…she couldn't take anymore. She closed her eyes tight for a moment to keep tears in, and opened them to reveal a frightening red glow.

"Haha…what the…?" Bowser stopped laughing as he noticed Carmilla's glowing eyes.

A red aura surrounded Carmilla as she began to drift into the air with her arms and legs spread out. Jets of black light appeared out of nowhere in several locations and all converged on her; she absorbed every one that appeared.

Bowser's eyes widened as he watched this, "Chaos power…?" he questioned, "But…that's impossible!"

"What?" Peach asked Bowser.

"She can't use Chaos energy in any way! Unless…" Bowser shifted his eyes back onto Carmilla, who was still levitating and absorbing the Chaos power, "…she's a Dark Priestess!"

"Dark…priestess?" Peach asked.

At once, people began to flee from the room, and seconds later, Carmilla stopped absorbing power, and her aura changed from a solid red to a rippling black, and her eyes were glowing demonically crimson.

"…It's the Dark Star's spirit!" Peach suddenly realized.

"Mm heh heh heh ha ha ha ha!" Carmilla laughed, with a demon voice layered over her regular one, "Fools! You should have never tried to make my beloved head Priestess Carmilla upset, now. Because you were so crass as to reject her, despite her being so kind, you had caused hate and rage to build up within her, allowing me to gain access to her body! The birth of a new Dark Era is at hand! The Mushroom World, and eventually the universe, will be mine!"

"Not if-a I can-a stop you!" Mario appeared.

"Yeah, me too-a!" Luigi chimed in.

"Hah!" Carmilla said, "You two plumbers…you may have defeated me in my previous form, but I absorbed Fawful's energy, wiping him out of existence, to grow more powerful than ever! Now, _nothing_ can stop me and my cult from taking over the world, starting with the Mushroom Kingdom!"

Carmilla held out her hand, making a black, electrical-sparking sphere to appear, into which she sucked the two plumbers.

"Mario!" Peach shouted.

"Luigi!" Daisy's voice came from behind, "You won't get away with this, you succubus!"

Daisy tried to charge at Carmilla, but was sucked into the sphere as well.

"Quick!" Peach said, reaching for Bowser, "Take my hand!"

Bowser took Peach's hand, and vanished from the chamber. Carmilla shrieked in anger.

"You mortals cannot remain hidden forever!" she shouted, "I will find you!"

She began to conjure Dark creatures to begin hijacking the castle and apprehend anyone who was unlucky enough to have not made it out.

(XXXX)

Peach and Bowser were teleported deep under the castle, in what looked like the dungeons.

"Woah," Bowser said, as the place looked very reminiscent to his own castle, "where are we?"

There were bloodstained knives, needles, screws, and spiked board with hand- and feet-straps.

"The torture room…" Peach said, looking nervous, "…I really wish we didn't have to use these."

"So, what do you think Carmilla could be up to now?" Bowser asked.

Peach rubbed her chin, "Knowing how persistent she can be…" she paused, "…everything bad we can think of. So, anyways, what do you mean she was a 'priestess'?"

"Well," Bowser began, "it was a long time ago, after the Dark Star was dug up. When the Toads thought they could harness its energy…they awoke it and it caused major devastation."

"I know that," Peach said, "but what does this have to do with Carmilla?"

Bowser continued: "Only humans had the ability to control its power, which led to the creation of the Dark Cult, a band of humans who wished to use the power of the Dark Star. Many believed that they all disappeared when the Star Sprites sealed the Dark Star, but there are rumors that many of the Cult's followers survived. Supposedly through Dark Masses, they were able to channel the power of the sealed Dark Star all throughout time." Bowser began to turn really white, "And I think that Carmilla…is a follower."

Peach gasped, "So…if the Dark Star's spirit has taken over her…"

"I know," Bowser replied, "we have to kill her…immediately."

As they were about to head out of the door, they heard footsteps.

"Someone's coming…" Peach said, closing her eyes and touching her index fingers to her temples, "…I sense strong Dark energy from these creatures."

Bowser went over to a table with torture devices and picked up a bullwhip, "Well…we should fight back, shouldn't we?"

Peach gave a nervous laugh, "Gonna fight Dark power by recreating Indiana Jones?" she asked.

Bowser shrugged, "…I'd say it's more like Castlevania." He said.

Peach's eyes brightened, "You play that game too?" she asked.

Bowser nodded, "Yep…never beat it, though; it's too hard. Second one…frustratingly cryptic. Third one…_insanely_ difficult." He said.

"Alright, well, let's just get out of here." Peach said, slowly opening the door.

Bowser peered his head around the corner and saw a Dark Koopa-Troopa and Goomba coming down their corridor. When they were within range, Bowser quickly opened the door, and lashed the Koopa-Troopa, making it hide in its shell. The Goomba tried to rush forward, but Bowser gave it a loud snap just in front of its face, making it stop. With that, he began to whip the two repeatedly, lash after lash, until they finally exploded into two piles of black, glittering powder.

Bowser coiled up the whip and tucked it under his jacket, "Not bad…" he said, "…but we need better weapons."

"Then, we'll need to get to the armory!" Peach said, "It's not too far from here; just a few corridors away."

Bowser nodded, "Okay, but we need to move fast if we wanna stop Carmilla from sucking this whole place into some Dark limbo!"

**Damn, another cliffhanger. I really pick bad spots to end, but I really find no feasible point to end it sometime before or after. Anyways, I'll be coming back next week with another chapter, so just keep that door open for more! Keep holding on…**


	11. Ch 10--The Truth Revealed

**Okay, sorry for the delay, but school has been getting **_**so frickin' hectic**_**, plus, my family has been dragging me out to do a bunch of more stuff, everything from out-of-town events to household chores. But, I was finally able to make time. So, as always, enjoy the next chapter!**

"Okay," Peach said, "we'll need to move quickly to get to the armory."

"Right, let's hurry!" Bowser said as they both rushed off down the corridors of the underground labyrinth. "Which way is it?" Bowser asked.

"Well, it's…" Peach stopped for a moment while she looked into his eyes. There was definitely something vaguely familiar about those blood-red eyes. Peach couldn't quite put her finger on it, but she could almost swear she has seen the exact same ones before. Something about them made her uneasy, and they almost seemed frightening to her, yet she could not explain why.

"What's wrong? We gotta keep moving!" Bowser said.

"O-oh! Right!" Peach said, "It's this way…" she began to head down one of the branching hallways, Bowser following behind her.

Once they made it to the armory, Bowser would have gone for the giant morning star, or the heavy battle ax, but they were both too heavy for his human form. Instead, he chose a long, two-handed bastard sword, and Peach got a meter-long jian. They both proceeded to head up out of the dungeons and back to the main hall.

"Alright," Bowser said, "so, this is where our fate has gotten us. We must now take down the last bit of energy that the Dark Star used to give Carmilla immense power, and hopefully, the collapse of its power will put an end to the cult that tried to revive it."

"Yes." Peach said, "But, Richter…"

Bowser looked at Peach again, "Yes?"

Peach sighed, "Look, I know this is gonna sound really silly and all, but…after having only known you for so short of a time…I have really come to like you."

Bowser looked around, "You mean, like…as a friend?" he asked.

"No, like…_like you_ like you." Peach said.

Bowser's eyes widened in amazement, and his most magnificent smile spread over his face, "…Me too." He said, "Now, let's take down this demented chick! I'll be here, right beside you, the whole time."

Peach smiled, "Thanks."

As the two of them proceeded to climb up the main tower, fighting several Dark creatures along the way, before finally arriving at the door to the Throne room. Taking Peach's hand, and looking her in the eye for a moment, Bowser slashed the rope binding the doors and kicked it open. Sitting on Peach's throne, drinking a glass of wine, was the possessed Carmilla.

"Ha ha ha!" Carmilla laughed in her demonic voice, "I would have never expected you to make it this far."

"Just give it up, bitch!" Bowser shouted, "I never wanted you! Why can't you just accept what everyone eventually experiences and go on!?"

Carmilla laughed once again, "By merging with her, I have seen Carmilla's past. She is but a poor girl who wanted someone to fall in love with her, yet no man she chose _ever_ gave her a chance! Including you!" she said.

Bowser's jaw dropped, "So, just because I didn't want you to be my girlfriend, you're going to turn this world into a living Hell!?" he asked.

"Mmm…" Carmilla rubbed her chin, "…but isn't the world Hellish already? It is full of nothing more than selfish, arrogant, self-centered mongrels! All I merely wish is for all of them to reflect upon this, and accept the punishment for their flaws and mistakes. Join me, you two, and I can give you immortality and reign over this new world, all the while possessing the perfect human on this planet to fall in love with my most favored priestess."

"Join forces with the Dark Star!?" Peach asked, shocked, "Never!"

Carmilla glared, threw her wine glass at the floor in front of them, and hover upwards out of the throne, "Very well…you have made your judgment, and I will be taking this world…with you along with it!"

"No way!" Bowser said, "Because of all that's happened, I will not give you the pleasure! Prepare to die!"

Bowser charged in, brandishing the longsword in both hands. Carmilla smirked, snapped her fingers, and was engulfed in a pillar of darkness that vanished, and reappeared behind Bowser as he tried to slash, but missed.

"A HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!" Carmilla laughed so hard, which echoed so that it sounded like several Carmillas. And then, she zapped him in the stomach with a dark purple lightning bolt, sending Bowser flying and hitting the wall, where he crumbled to the ground.

"You are a fool!" Carmilla said, "Ever since I had absorbed Fawful's soul, it has given me power beyond anything else! Fawful was nothing but a weakling; he annoyed me, so I tormented his spirit for a long time until I became bored and took it for myself! And soon, the souls of the two plumbers and the stupid Sarasaland Princess will be part of me as well, giving me even _more_ strength. Don't you see, mortal? No human will ever be able to defeat me!"

Bowser slowly stood, "...Hate to drop the bomb on you, buddy, but…" he stopped speaking as he ripped his shirt off, the triangular symbol on his chest glowing brightly as he began to morph back to his Koopa form.

Carmilla stared in disbelief, "N-no! This magic…it can't be…" she said, hardly able to speak, "…you…could…handle it…?"

Peach stared in shock as she watched what literally unfolded before her.

After Bowser was back to normal, he gave a smug grin at Carmilla, "…I'm no human." He said.

"You!" Carmilla shrieked, "You put me back into my eternal slumber! You were the one who foiled my plans!" She glared very evilly, and almost murderously, at Bowser, "Well, I would wish to thank you for allowing my resurrection, since I now have the opportunity for my revenge!"

"Try me!" Bowser dared, "I'll beat you down again!"

Carmilla conjured a glowing red rapier, and her voice was completely replaced by the low, demonic voice: "_Kründai…Daimaō Kuppa_!"

She darted at Bowser, trying to land a strike to decapitate him. Bowser blocked the attack with his own sword, and stabbed her in the stomach, causing black dust to seep out of her.

"Hmph, who knew it would be so—" Bowser suddenly stopped speaking when he noticed Carmilla began to change; her muscles appeared to be getting thicker, while her head was changing shape, and she grew much taller in stature. Her transformation left her as a large, dark-blue, reptilian demon with large horns and wings on her arms. She was larger than Bowser.

"Damn…" Bowser thought, "…this bitch has got _way_ too many tricks up her sleeve!"

Bowser charged in with the sword and slashed at the demon's legs a few times, and then she jumped over him (and got a lot of hang time for just ten feet due to her wings). While in midair, the demon spawned several Dark koopas, goombas, shy guys, boos, dry-bones, and bob-ombs. Bowser charged up his fire-breath and burned them all up (the explosions from the bob-ombs aiding in the process), and then, he noticed a shaped on the demon's chest that looked like the Dark Star. He then looked down at the sword in his hand.

"That's gotta be her weak spot!" Bowser said to himself, "Only got one shot at this…"

"_Do you see now, Koopa King?_" the demon spoke in its same horrifying voice, "_I now have the ability to overpower you, even better than last time! Now, I will finally be able to send to into the underworld to be tortured for all eternity! Say your final farewell to this world!_"

Bowser wound the sword up behind him, "Not today, you twisted succubus! _I'm_ gonna send _you_ to burn in Hell!" and with that, he threw the sword, hitting the demon in the Dark Star-mark on its chest.

"_AAAAGH!_" the demon shrieked, "_The blade! No…!_" she fell to her knees and began to dissolve, "_…How could I lose again…? And to…a mere mortal…? You haven't…seen the last…of…me…!_" The sword clattered to the ground as the large cloud of black dust expanded around the Throne room.

Peach coughed as she approached, "B…B…Bowser…?" she asked.

Bowser sighed sadly, "Yes, Princess…it's me. I was hoping this wouldn't happen…" he said.

Moan began to appear from the area that the cloud of smoke appeared from; lying there was Carmilla, Mario, Luigi, and Daisy.

"Ungh…" Daisy strained as she sat up, "…what was that? Weren't we in the ballroom just now?"

"Yes," Peach said, "it's a long…terrifying story, so, let's get up and have the workers clean the place up, shall we?"

"Yeah, I think that—AAAH!" Daisy screamed, "It's B-B-Bowser!"

"Hah!" Mario said, "I knew it-a was a trick-a!"

"Yeah, prepare to-a cry-a!" Luigi said as the two brothers took a fighting stance.

Peach stepped in front of them, "Mario! Luigi! No! Don't attack him!"

"Get-a out-a of the way, Princess! This-a will be-a short!" Mario said.

"No, you have to listen to me!" Peach said, quickly, "You should really be thanking the big guy right now!"

Mario, Luigi, and Daisy all dropped their jaws, "C'mon, Peach, are you really trying to defend the Koopa King again!?" Daisy asked, furiously.

"Yes!" Peach said, "Because he…saved us all."

"What!?" Everyone said simultaneously, "He…saved us?"

**Okay, so it might or might not be a while again before I can upload another chapter. In the meantime, try to spend a little less time on the computer; go out and do something wild! At least, that's what I would do, but you can do as you like. Bye for now! Keep holding on…**


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